Uncertain Future
by Uber Spoonz
Summary: The horror of alchemy is about to be unfurled upon the world. A seemingly weak foe is gathering ingredients for his army: Adepts and the incredible power they hold. And among these unfortunate chosen is Isaac of Vale. Complete!
1. Unexpected Visit

How long has it been? Weeks? Months? Months. And now I disappoint all fans of Age of Queens and Dog Days and Our Class Will Steal the Mascot and WTF and Shadows and all that by…

Posting a new story.

The cause of my seeminly unprovoked absence? DeviantART. I'm pretty sure there's a link in my profile. Though as much as you want to curse that website for stealing me away, thank it a thousand times more for bringing me back.

I now present a Golden Sun story that may contain spoilers as it takes place after the end of Golden Sun II. For all practical purposes (and the fact that I'm a part of the American audience), I will refer to our Lemurian friend as Piers, not Picard.

Golden Sun is copyright to Camelot, plot is copyright to me. As we say on deviantART, steal and die.

**Chapter 1: Unexpected Visit**

As spring arrived, bringing with it the light of the sun, the land warmed. This season was proving to be an exceptionally hot one; while spring had officially started only a week past, the temperatures were already rivaling those of midsummer. A certain group of companions was especially displeased with this as they spent all day every day outside helping to repair the ruined town of Vale.

A boy with unruly golden hair and crystal blue eyes perched atop the thatched roof of his dwelling. He grinned to himself in sarcastic amusement. Not six months ago had he been performing the very same task. All that was before his journey had begun. Now, after returning from that journey, he and a select few of his friends were aiding the town of Vale which had been destroyed upon Alchemy's release.

Felix and Jenna could be seen a distance away making repairs to their own home. Garet, however, was nowhere in sight. Isaac groaned inwardly. If Garet wasn't working with the others, that meant he was off plotting some devious prank.

At that precise moment, a horrific shriek filled the air and darkness covered the town as the sun was eclipsed by none other than…

Garet, wielding the Viking Ax he had received in Yallam's forgery.

Isaac yelped in surprise and rolled out of the way as Garet's ax blade came down on the place he had been a mere fraction of a second prior. Felix lifted his head momentarily to see what was going on, then turned back to his work, chuckling and shaking his head. Jenna decided to take a brief break and watched the mock battle with interest.

"Garet, what in the name of all that is _freaking_ good are you doing!" the blonde boy snarled, gesturing to the destroyed patch of the roof. This area in particular was one that Isaac had just recently mended. His only reply was an insidious smirk as Garet charged at him, screaming his wordless battle cry. Isaac sighed and stepped aside, letting his apparent foe race right off the side of the roof. He peered down to make sure his friend was wholly uninjured.

The redheaded boy sprang up and spewed a random string of gibberish. However, this gibberish was spewed quite threateningly, and Isaac responded by raising an eyebrow. He twitched a finger and effortlessly performed the Lift psynergy to suspend Garet in midair.

"What on _earth_ are you doing?" he asked again, this time far more coolly. The Fire Adept chuckled nervously.

"Just having a little fun, bud," he answered with an embarrassed shrug. Jenna heaved a sigh and turned around to help her brother erect a fallen pillar. Isaac released his psynergy and also got back to work. Garet, seeing his attempt to divert his best friend from his labor had failed, trudged back to his house to assist his siblings in cleaning the debris from his house. Their home had been largely spared.

The villagers worked into the night, and even though the Adepts' skills were very useful, it didn't appear they were making a great deal of progress. Isaac groaned, finding himself stiff from leaning over miscellaneous roofs all day, and climbed down the ladder he had left out for himself. He looked towards the horizon to watch the sun's scarlet curtain fall away from the sky, but this was interrupted by a band of soldiers.

"Isaac of Vale!" the man at the head of the brigade summoned loudly. Those villagers remaining outside turned and looked at the boy whose name had been called. Isaac stood still for a moment. He recognized the man to be one of Babi's attendants.

His fists clenched at his bitter memories of that man. Apart from demanding Isaac participate in Tolbi's Colosso event, he had kidnapped an innocent in order to force an entire town into slavery. And all this was so he could obtain the Lemurian Draught, the mystic potion that had enabled him to live much longer than any human should. In a kind of sick addiction, Babi's fear of death constantly drove him to locate more of the Draught despite the consequences to others. If his representative was visiting Vale, it could only mean further trouble for the already-ailing town.

Slowly, cautiously Isaac approached the men, their armor dancing in the sun's dying light. The head soldier removed his helmet. Instantly Isaac recognized him as Iodem. The boy nodded in silent, dignified greeting.

"It grows late, so I'd prefer not to waste light over idle chatter," Iodem said sternly. "Thus I will cut to the chase. Lord Babi requests your presence in Tolbi."

"Tolbi?" Isaac repeated. He glanced over his shoulder. Vale still desperately needed repairs, and he had no intention of leaving it in that state. "I'm sorry. Tell Babi that I will not leave my village until it has been restored."

Iodem cleared his throat and the soldiers stepped aside, revealing a crowd of accomplished carpenters and craftsmen. "Lord Babi has instructed me to leave this crew of men to work in your absence," he explained. Isaac bit his lip as he surveyed the men. They would more than compensate for him if he were to leave. Though he knew it would only come back to bite him, Isaac reluctantly agreed to make the trip to Tolbi in the morning.

The night was still young, and the Earth Adept ventured to Garet's house for a chat. The larger boy had seen Babi at his worst and would probably disapprove altogether, but it was this very same knowledge that made him more comfortable to speak with on the matter. They had both witnessed Babi's selfishness and cruelty, and they had both suffered from the Colosso fiasco.

Isaac gently rapped his knuckles against the door, his eyes downcast. The door swung open and he basked in the flood of light given off from the lamps within. Garet stood there, an amiable grin plastered on his face.

"Hey, pal! What's up?" he greeted. Isaac smiled feebly. He realized that he was feeling quite uneasy about going to see Babi alone. Garet noticed his pensive behavior immediately. "Is something wrong?" he inquired.

Isaac gave a meek chuckle as the knot in his stomach tightened. He had only survived Colosso because his friends had rigged the matches in his favor. "I wouldn't exactly say that something's _not_ wrong…"

Garet's mother prepared hot tea for the boys and herself, though she chose to enjoy hers in a separate room. Isaac stared at the steam emanating from the cup in a silence which his friend soon broke.

"What's the problem?" he asked quietly. His eyes widened as he imagined the worst. "Your mom's okay, right? And your dad?"

Isaac nodded stiffly. "They're fine," he assured, his blue eyes still glued to the tea that he had not yet even touched. "It's just that… Iodem came by a while ago. Apparently Babi wants to see me in Tolbi tomorrow."

The boy's eyes grew wide with shock as Garet muttered a string of curse words at the mention of the elderly man's name. "You didn't agree to meet with him, did you!" he barked. Isaac averted his gaze and nodded. Garet continued his senseless rant of curses until finally his friend felt the need to ask.

"Where in all of Weyard did you hear words like that?" he questioned. Garet snorted.

"Between my grandpa and Jenna, it wasn't easy _not_ to work a few of them into my vocabulary," he replied with a smirk. He growled and shook his head suddenly. "Don't change the subject on me!" he admonished. "Why does that son of fruit cup want to talk to you anyway?"

Isaac laughed at the choice of words and shrugged. "Iodem didn't say. I promise I won't get myself into any trouble, though," he said. Somehow speaking the vow to someone other than himself made him all the more confident in the statement. Garet grinned.

"Well, you better not," he advised, "'cause if you get in any sort of trouble at all, I'm _not_ hauling my butt down to Tolbi just to save yours."

They finished their tea with a little lighthearted conversation regarding the state of Weyard and Vale, as well as their thoughts pertaining to their other companions. Mia had returned to Imil to continue caring for the sick, and Piers had sailed back to Lemuria to report their success to the king. Ivan and Sheba went to Contigo to study the ruins. None of them were anywhere near Tolbi, so if Isaac wound up entwined in some odd adventure, he'd be on his own. This thought the Earth Adept kept to himself.

As the crickets began their serenade to the moon, Isaac excused himself, wishing his companion a good night's rest. The most difficult task still lay ahead of him: explaining to his mother and father that he would be leaving just a couple of weeks after being reunited with them. His eyes studied the ground as he walked across it. When he entered his house, armed with any number of reasons why he mustn't stay, he was surprised to find that his parents had both already gone to bed. Having expected to leave at daybreak, this posed a challenge to Isaac. He finally decided to write them a note.

He found a sheet of paper and a pen and carefully worded his letter, clearly entailing that he planned to return by the next evening. He concluded his explanation and set the paper on the dining table so they'd be sure to find it. Isaac threw himself down in the living room's armchair and closed his eyes with a sigh. He was tired from working all day in the sun, but he was growing much too nervous to sleep.

The boy sat up and held out his hand before himself, palm facing up. A golden light flashed, revealing Flint, his first Djinni. The endearing creature captivated him for a moment, a smile playing across his lips.

"Hello, there, my little friend," he greeted. The creature shook itself violently and stretched, then began grooming its thin, silky fur. Isaac patted Flint's head, receiving an irritated glare that evoked a chuckle in response. The Djinni took its place upon Isaac's shoulder, well out of the way of his stroking hand. The Adept sighed and closed his eyes again. He intended to stick to his plan of leaving at morning's first breath of light.

Sleep soon claimed his troubled mind as moonbeams broke through the window, basking him in their ethereal light.

_Review as you find necessary, friends._ By the way, it gets more sci-fi later on.


	2. Utter Foreboding

Whew, okay. I better say everything I wanna say now, because FFnet's current document editing window is wonk-rific. If I wanted to edit in HTML mode, I would have cared to memorize HTML tags. Le dur.

This is mostly a little filler chapter, though, ironically, you may not find it very filling. Hah. I made a pun.

Golden Sun still belongs to Camelot. I think. I never really check up on this sort of thing…

**Chapter 2: Utter Foreboding**

Isaac yawned and roused at the sudden pressure on his face. He opened his blue eyes to find Flint resting on the bridge of his nose. When it realized it had finally been noticed, the Djinni murmured frantically and gestured towards the window. The Adept forced himself to awaken when he noticed the town was pink with dawn's light. He proceeded to the kitchen for a light breakfast of a buttered slice of bread and a glass of milk. His anxiety over meeting with Babi prevented him from finishing his slight meal.

After donning his armor and locating Excalibur, his favorite sword, Isaac silently exited the house and headed for the town's entrance. Iodem was there waiting with his fleet of soldiers.

"Good morning, Isaac," the raven-haired man greeted solemnly. Isaac nodded in acknowledgment. Iodem frowned.

"You know, we're going to be traveling together all the way to Tolbi," he reminded. "You could at least _pretend_ to enjoy my company."

Isaac ignored the comment and gestured to the soldiers. "There are still monsters around?" he inquired, his voice betraying his cool demeanor. Iodem smirked slightly at the sight of this incredible warrior and hero losing his confidence over a few monsters. However, it wasn't the beasts that were worrying Isaac. He had a terrible feeling about this trip, or, at the very least, what awaited at the end of it.

Their trip proceeded in a silence which made Isaac feel as though he was being escorted to his own execution. Halfway to Tolbi, Iodem diverted from the main road and led the entourage across a bridge. Isaac presumed several shortcuts had been established now that it was safer to work in the open. Most of the monsters had dissipated with the rising of the Golden Sun, letting all of Weyard breathe easier. Isaac, too, was glad that monster activity had decreased to a minuscule point. Truth to be told, he had always found the constant random battles annoying since they scarcely advanced his skills if at all.

The path they had taken proved to be a shortcut as the Earth Adept could make out the silhouette of Tolbi rising from the horizon. A sudden chill raced down his spine when he spotted the distinct shape of the coliseum where he had competed in Colosso months ago.

"I bet you're excited," Iodem said, probably to make conversation. Isaac raised an eyebrow, not offering a word of reply. Iodem continued regardless.

"It's been a while since you've been to Tolbi, from what Lord Babi tells me. Are you thinking of participating in Colosso again this year?"

"No," Isaac snarled, clenching his hands into fists. The older man shrugged.

"Pity. You did so well in last year's event," he commented with a sly smirk. The blonde boy heaved a sigh as he remembered why he couldn't stand Babi or anyone who had regular dealings with him. They were all jerks. Everyone who had attended Colosso knew that Isaac collapsed from exhaustion the moment he won his match. He found it fortunate that no one in the audience noticed how his race course's traps were all disabled, thanks to a little help from his friends and their psynergy.

As they approached the town, a soft, sweet music reached Isaac's ears. He turned his head with interest. It seemed to be a gentle melody, but he knew that it must be absolutely blaring within the city to be audible at this distance.

"Tolbi's celebrating their annual Spring Festival this week," Iodem explained when he noticed Isaac listening to the music. "It's a big event, almost as big as Colosso. There's lots of music and dancing and food and fun. Maybe you should stay and enjoy it as well."

The addressed shook his head adamantly. "I'm returning to Vale this evening," he informed bitterly. At the mention of time, he noticed that the sun had climbed over the hills and filled the sky with heavenly whites, pinks, and blues while dying the fields golden. He inwardly sighed. At this point, his friends and family were probably waking and preparing their breakfasts. His stomach was already lecturing him for being too anxious to have a proper meal before leaving.

They soon reached Tolbi's gates, and, as Isaac had presumed, the once soft and melodious music was now pounding and vibrating through his very existence. Within the city, young girls danced around with wreaths of flowers, and the boys chased one another through the streets. Towards the town's center, there was an enormous band, the one responsible for the music. Men and women went about their business, garbed in bright, festive colors. As Iodem led Isaac towards the larger building where Babi waited, a small girl in a pink dress with a crown of daisies about her chocolate hair grabbed the Adept's hand with a bright smile. Her emerald eyes shined cheerfully.

Isaac responded to her enthusiasm with a smile of his own. The girl presented him with a white carnation, which he gladly accepted. It was a small consolation for the horrible feeling he had, but a consolation nonetheless. Iodem called Isaac's name sharply, and the boy frowned in his direction. He waved to the girl, bidding her farewell, and followed his escort before he became lost in the crowd.

It was not much longer before the group managed to fight their way to Babi's residence. Isaac took a deep breath to calm himself. The feeling of foreboding penetrating his every thought was only growing stronger, even if every person around him was in good spirits. The massive doors swung open and Iodem bade the Adept enter before him. Isaac whipped around as the doors closed behind him. It seemed Iodem had remained outside. For what reason was the question at hand, though the boy was giving it less thought than he probably should have.

A staircase rested before him, its banisters decorated with strings of flowers for the Spring Festival. Cautiously he ascended it, finding himself standing face to face with an ominous door. The handles were crafted in the likeness of some sort of lion, though it more resembled a beast Isaac once fought. As he reached up a hand to knock, someone on the other side abruptly threw the doors open, causing the young hero to stumble backwards. A stiff-looking soldier stood in front of him.

"Isaac of Vale," the soldier stated in a tone commanding great authority. Isaac presumed him to be the captain of Babi's fleet as he voiced his presence. The man stepped to a side to allow the named entry.

Isaac closed his eyes momentarily and steadied his breathing. He adopted a poised disposition and proceeded into the dimly lit chamber.

Lights sprang to life as he entered, surprising him out of his cool and collected attitude.

"Heh, did I startle you?" inquired a deep, elderly voice. Isaac turned in its direction and found none other than Babi seated at an oak desk with several papers upon it. At the very sight of this man, burning hatred consumed the Adept's being, yet he managed to mask it as mere displeasure. This only further amused Babi.

"Come now, Isaac," he said condescendingly, "this is how you treat me after saving my life?"

Isaac shook his head. "This is how I treat you after you nearly take mine," he corrected tartly, referencing Colosso. Babi sighed deeply.

"Can't you just let bygones be bygones?" he muttered. "You _did_ win your match…"

The boy sighed and dismissed the topic. "Just get to the point," he demanded. "Why did you call me here when you know my village was destroyed and I need to help repair it?"

A devious smirk crawled onto Babi's lips. "So you wouldn't have a choice," he said smugly. Isaac's mouth feel slightly agape at these words. His fingers grew cold as his blood seemed to freeze inside him.

"What do you mean?" he demanded, attempting to sound vicious but only managing to choke out the words tentatively. He watched in concealed horror as Babi's grin grew. The man closed his eyes and rested his chin upon his laced fingers, though the wicked smile remained intact.

"Well, with my army surrounding your little village and everyone inside and you in no place to help them, I figured I could basically make you do anything I wanted," he explained nonchalantly. Isaac clenched his fists as he could almost feel his heart sink.

"You son of a…"

"Now, now," Babi interrupted, "is that any way to talk to your new lord and master? My men will accompany you to your room. One false move and I'll order the attack on your town. Iodem will introduce you to your new life later today."

Isaac growled in contempt but didn't resist when two soldiers approached him and took hold of either arm, removing his sword and placing it aside. Babi was ruthless, and the Adept didn't put _anything_ past him. Submissively he allowed himself to be guided though a door to the side, down a stone corridor, and finally into a stark chamber consisting of little other than a bed and a window. The door was closed behind him, and he heard the lock click into place.

The boy lifelessly glided across the room and stared out the window towards Vale. For a moment he recalled meeting Sheba in Lalivero for the first time. The room he was in now and the one which the young Jupiter Adept had resided in were eerily similar.

Isaac leaned on the windowsill and shut his eyes. He'd find a way out, no matter what it took.

--

But can he really? Once again, review as you see fit. Or, see it through my eyes and just review.

The sci-fi really comes into play next chapter. Oh, and I don't know if it's really going to wind up being a K+ story. I just make all my stories that rating until I see a need to a change it. It actually works pretty well…


	3. The Draught

Sorry if this chapter comes off as a bit… dull. I often get bored of writing dialogue, so I don't put my emotion and heart into it like I do for other parts. If you're an empathetic reader like I am, you'll be able to feel as my interest dwindled to the point where I was almost forcing myself to finish the chapter.

Bringin' on the sci-fi this chapter. Oh yeah. Teh w00tness.

**Chapter 3: The Draught**

The sky was scarlet and maroon with the sunset. Isaac sighed as he watched the crimson disk sink below the horizon. He'd promised his parents in his note that he'd be home by now. They were no doubt worried for him.

_Or maybe they think I'm just goofing off_, he mused grimly. It wasn't uncommon for him to take a while longer to do things due to his affinity for wandering and exploring and helping every single person who asked for it. In fact, he would occasionally return days later than he told his mother. She had learned not to worry much. And Garet, Jenna, and Felix would trust Isaac to take care of himself.

The Adept's thoughts were abruptly brought to a close as Iodem loudly entered the room. "Isaac of Vale, come with me," the man commanded. The summoned turned from the window and reluctantly obeyed. This time he was brought down a different hall, and they wound up in a crisp laboratory.

"Lord Babi's scientific crew has managed to put the power of Alchemy to good use," Iodem explained, gesturing Isaac have a seat on what appeared to be a metal examination table doctors often used. "With it, they have created a more refined type of the Lemurian Draught that grants His Lordship his long life. This Alchemic Draught, as it came to be known as, when injected, prevents aging altogether as opposed to merely slowing it. Not only that, but it is easy to manufacture in mass quantities."

"I don't care," Isaac replied bluntly. Iodem scoffed.

"Well, then allow me to enlighten you on a topic that you may find more interesting," he said somewhat sarcastically. "Lord Babi intends to create a new army: an army of Adepts. This will be his fleet for thousands of years, thanks to the wonders of the Alchemic Draught. And you, Isaac, are to be his first Adept soldier. It's exhilarating to think that you will be the first of your kind, don't you think?"

Isaac sprang forth from the table and pinned Iodem against the wall. "I swear in the name of Gaia and Sol, if you so much as lay a hand on me, you dirty, rotten vermin, you will find yourself fortunate to escape with both lungs!" he threatened, rage glowing in his eyes. His captive stared with wide eyes like a deer caught in the headlights, then a brazen grin worked its way forth.

"And if _you_ so much as lay a hand on _me_, as you so foolishly have…" he began venomously. He drew a device out of his pocket that sent a sharp pain through Isaac's side when it the tip made contact with him. The boy cried out and blundered backwards, releasing Iodem. He glanced at the wound to make sure he didn't need a healing item that he didn't have and found no trace of the attack apart from a scorch mark on his clothes.

"I suggest you take your seat and behave yourself," Iodem advised. Isaac glared at his foe, yet did as he was told. He studied the small device that had been used against him for as long as it remained in view. Curiously he wondered how such a thing could inflict that kind of pain; it wasn't even sharp.

Before long, two men in white lab coats entered. One clutched a clipboard in his hand and furiously scribbled some random information. Iodem left as they passed him, offering the advice to "behave" again as he did so.

The presumed doctors spent the next five minutes weighing and measuring Isaac; one called out the values and the other noted them on his clipboard. The one taking notes left when they were through and returned shortly with a syringe filled with a red substance. The Adept cringed when he noticed the size of the needle.

"I trust you know what this is?" the doctor questioned, tilting his head towards the syringe. Isaac slowly shook his head, dreading the answer.

"It's a dose of the Alchemic Draught," his company explained. "The injection itself is no more than a mosquito's bite compared to the miscellaneous battles you have suffered, and the result is endless life if inoculated once every five years."

Isaac uttered a soft gasp. "And what if I don't _want_ endless life?" he spat. The doctor shrugged.

"I can only pity you. Orders are orders."

"Just wait until the grafting procedure beings," the other physician chuckled.

The Earth Adept turned his head sharply at the comment. "Grafting?" he inquired, but before he could say another word, he gave a short shout as the syringe was inserted into the arm from which his head was turned.

"Agh! STOP!" he demanded as he swatted the needle out of the man's hand and away from his arm. This proved to be a wasted effort, as the majority of the Draught had already been injected. He held his hand to the area as blood began to well up from the wound.

"You'll be giving yourself Hell if you don't receive the full dosage!" the doctor reprimanded angrily. Isaac glared daggers in return.

"It'll be a living Hell if I wind up with eternal life, cursed to serve that bastard Babi for all of time and just watch as my friends wither and die," he reasoned, though his words were formed from anything but. The doctor who had mentioned grafting earlier sighed and stood before Isaac, her hands upon her hips in the same manner as a mother who was scolding her child.

"Isaac, I can sympathize with you, really I can, but you aren't being given a choice here," she explained in an even tone. "None of us were. Nielson and I were chosen from our towns for our brilliance and aptitude for learning; Lord Babi didn't ask us if we wanted to go or not. Raising a fuss will only get you more punishment than you deserve."

The Adept narrowed his eyes. "So all of Babi's men were forced to work for him against their will?" he concluded. The woman nodded remorsefully.

"Then why don't you just revolt?" Isaac asked. The doctors exchanged a worried glance as though they understood something that the young hero did not.

"It… was once attempted," the male physician said hesitantly as he retrieved the syringe from the floor. "About a dozen of the soldiers decided they were fed up with working for Babi. They attempted to take him down. Their plan was flawless, but…" He broke off with a sigh, leaving his partner to finish the tale.

"But one of the soldiers was disloyal to the others and confessed the entire plan to Lord Babi. They were all executed for treason," she completed.

Isaac bowed his head in defeat. Obviously those Babi had forced into labor were weak-willed and fearful of consequences. Even those that wished to defy him referred to him as their lord.

He glanced inquisitively at his hand as his index finger twitched without provocation. The recent events surrounding the Alchemic Draught were all but lost to him as his mind pondered other topics. The female doctor noticed the movement, though, and an expression of concern instantly crossed her face.

"Oh, that's just lovely," she muttered as she inspected Isaac's arm. Where the needle had been inserted, there was a moderately-sized scarlet bruise forming.

"I told you to accept the full dose," her partner sighed as he left the room. The Adept stared after him in partial dismay, turning his attention to his remaining company when it appeared the man wasn't returning.

"The Alchemic Draught is completely harmless to the body if injected in the proper amount," she explained, her voice wavering on the edge of distress, "but when taken in too much or too little, it can be fatal. The body's natural defenses instantly identify the Draught as a foreign body and attack it if the dosage was too high. But if it was too low, it is distributed throughout the bloodstream unevenly. In some areas it goes unchecked, but where there is more of it the blood cells defend."

"I don't understand a word you're saying," Isaac admitted when she paused for a breath. The doctor groaned in irritation.

"I'll get to the point, then. You didn't receive a full dose, so your body's internal chemistry is out of whack. If untreated, you will experience mind-numbing pain. Before long you will lose consciousness, and within the hour you will die."

The blonde boy noticed that the red blotch had taken the shape of what appeared to be veins. Towards his shoulder the marks were pale, but along his forearm they were vivid and prominent. Isaac took this as a bad sign. His premonitions proved correct as searing agony enveloped his arm, as the doctor had forewarned.

As his vision blurred, the other physician returned with an armload of materials. "We might as well kill two birds with one stone," he shrugged as he set down eight metal plates and two syringes, one full of what was recognized to be the Alchemic Draught and one completed empty.

"Isaac, we're going to drain the infected blood. You may feel light-headed after a time, but…"

The doctor's voice faded into the sound of the boy's heartbeat until that, too, evaporated into silence. Darkness claimed his sight and nightmares clutched at his mind.

--

Isn't that lovely? We had a little explanation, a little Isaac losin' it, and little MORE Isaac losin' it, a lot more explanation, and a big ol' cliffhanger just for the heck of things.

You can review if you want toooooooo… But I sure want you to. And chapter four might take a leetle bit longer than these others have, since I've only done a paragraph so far and I need to start my evil summer reading assignments.


	4. The Mortality of Innocence

**And after weeks of excrutiating work, I finally finished Chapter 4. If all goes according to plan, there's only one chapter left.**

**I hope I can finish it in time for the contest deadline at devART.**

**Chapter 4: The Mortality of Innocence**

For all his lack of ability to see or hear, Isaac's sense of feeling was left intact, though he currently begged of Gaia to take it away. A pain unlike any he had ever felt devoured either arm. Slowly the sheer darkness subsided and was replaced by the dim crimson of light filtering through the boy's eyelids. He realized that he only heard nothing because there were no sounds to take in.

He opened his eyes with a groan and found himself lying upon the bed in his designated room. A glance at his arms, which were now rather numb, revealed them to be covered with four metal plates each. Upon closer inspection, he found that the plates were not merely resting atop his skin, but the edges continued beneath it. He winced at the notion of having slabs of metal beneath his skin, but it appeared to be the case.

Foolishly he attempted to sit up and was reproved by a pain dozens of times more intense than what he thought before the worst agony one could suffer. The door opened with a click, though Isaac could barely manage to turn his head and see who it was in such a condition.

"I see you underwent the grafting as well." It was Iodem. Isaac didn't bother to try and utter a response.

"Grafting _is_ pretty painful, but you'll get used to it by sundown. Babi said he's going to require all of his Adept soldiers to have grafted armor. Says it'll offer better protection for when he throws them onto the front lines of war."

"Don't care," Isaac muttered. His throat was coarse and dry, but it was minimal discomfort compared to what he was feeling elsewhere on his body. Iodem chuckled in amusement.

"Of course you don't," he shrugged. "But then, why should I care what you care? You're my captive audience." He laughed again when he noticed the expression of sheer hatred upon Isaac's face.

"Well, since you can't do anything about it, how about I tell you what Babi has planned for your companions?" he offered, a grin spreading when the mask of disgust melted into one of worry.

"Lord Babi said he's going to force them all into his service. Every last one. And if they resist, he won't hesitate to kill them. Of course, why should they resist? All I have to say is, 'We have Isaac' and they'll come like lambs to the slaughter."

With great care the boy reached down and grabbed his shoe from the floor, enduring the excruciating pain for long enough to perform this task. With all the strength he could muster, he flung the boot at Iodem's head. The target stumbled backwards upon impact. The heel had collided squarely with his right temple. Largely unharmed but enraged beyond the imagination, he stormed across the room and clutched Isaac's wrist tightly. A sinister grin came to his lips when the Adept's will gave way and he could ignore the sensation no longer.

"Iodem!"

The named released his grip immediately and looked about before remembering the black box dangling from his belt. He unlatched the item and held it to his mouth.

"Yes, Lord Babi?"

Isaac temporarily marveled at the communication device. Babi had made many scientific advances with Alchemy.

"Leave him be. He will suffer enough without your help. I'll make sure of it."

"…Yes, my lord," Iodem replied as he turned around and stiffly marched out of the room without another word, shutting and locking the door behind him. Isaac found the latter unnecessary as he couldn't manage to stand at the time being. Wistfully he glanced out the window. The sun was low. The young Adept had been missing for two or three days. Wasn't anyone worried about him?

---

"Isaac," Iodem said, the steel door sliding open upon detecting his presence, "Lord Babi desires a word with you."

"A word, eh?" a young boy clothed in a crimson shirt and azure pants repeated. He fingered the brooch holding the golden cloak he had fashioned into a scarf. The smooth topaz resonated with the power of Venus. "Have another five years passed so soon?"

The blonde boy about-faced and headed for the hall where Iodem stood in waiting. His once vibrant blue eyes were dull and livid. His expression was one of someone who had given up on the thing called hope long, long ago.

Isaac, the Venus Adept of Vale, no longer required an escort. After nine hundred and fifteen years, he was perfectly obedient to Babi and Iodem. Anyone else, though, was beneath him, and he wouldn't hesitate to put a one of them in their place if they questioned him. Isaac had spent uncountable years serving Babi, and he was his finest soldier. He was also a highly respected commander and the hero of the Proxian War. And on top of everything, he was a cold-blooded killer.

He'd gotten word months after the grafting procedure, while he was still recovering, that Kraden had died. Isaac desperately wanted to attend the funeral of his teacher and friend. He'd swallowed his pride and begged Babi, swearing absolute and unconditional loyalty to the villain. Still he had been denied his one request.

His friends never came looking. Often he had dreamed of them. As time dragged on he came to believe that they had all been killed resisting Babi. After a hundred years he gave up on ever seeing a one of them again.

Meanwhile Babi, his life further preserved by his Alchemic Draught, had made staggering advances in science. His empire, an incredible city he had named Babilon in his own honor, was built upon a massive craft eternally suspended far above the ground by Alchemy. Those within the castle were completely immune to all mortal disease and illness, including all known species of viruses. Outside, though still blessed with lives upon Babi's marvelous city, people were impoverished. Scores of them died every day. Isaac hadn't seen hide nor hair of the place for a good two hundred years; Weyard was largely peaceful at the time and didn't required the might of a top Adept warrior.

The boy turned his mind from the thoughts and memories as he approached the medical quarters. His was a special case, and there were normally many doctors in the room during the procedure. It seemed the effects of the inappropriate dose of Draught he had received nearly a thousand years ago were permanent. Often his body reacted violently to the Alchemic Draught, occasionally leaving him consciousness for a time. Luckily, he only needed to suffer for one day every five years.

The hydraulics hissed as the door glided open. Isaac sighed and seated himself upon the cushioned chair on the other side of the room. He found the metal examination table crude and uncomfortable. What drew his thoughts from this was that he noticed the strange absence of the dozen or so doctors that were normally pattering about by now.

"Just a moment, please," called a serene feminine voice from behind a different door. The sound of it inspired nostalgia for Isaac, though he couldn't place why. He turned his attention to the ceiling and began inspecting a blinking fluorescent light.

"All right, I'm coming," the woman said. The Adept heard the door open but didn't respond until he heard the doctor's clipboard clatter to the ground.

"A bit clumsy, eh?" he said sarcastically. His bitter remark was silenced before it could be spoken when his eyes met those of his company.

"Mia?" he breathed in disbelief.

The woman before him, though considerably older than he remembered her, greatly resembled his dear from Imil with whom he had traveled Weyard over. Her teal hair was drawn back in the same manner as Mia's, and her cerulean eyes sparkled with the same love of life. However, this woman was probably twice Isaac's age; she was old enough to be his mother.

"Isaac… I… Is it really you?" she inquired hesitantly as she slowly began crossing the room. The Adept began to severely doubt his doubts.

"Well, that's the name that's on the clipboard, isn't it?" he jeered, arriving at the conclusion that this woman wasn't Mia. "Can you hurry it up? If I'm going to be dead from the neck up for twenty-four hours, I'd like to get it over with already."

"You don't recognize me?" the doctor presumed, her voice heavy with sorrow. "But… you said my name… You _do_ recognize me, don't you?"

Isaac's heart grew cold. This _was_ Mia. "Mia… of Imil," he murmured. The woman nodded enthusiastically and hurriedly closed the distance, throwing her arms around her lost friend's shoulders.

"We were all so worried about you, Isaac!"

The boy's cold heart suddenly flared up with rage. He shoved Mia backwards, giving himself room to leap from the chair angrily.

"If you were so worried, why didn't you come looking for me!" he shouted. "Why didn't you get me out of this hellhole while I still believed I had a chance! Why did you leave me here all alone!"

Mia's eyes shimmered with tears. She turned around to face away from the Venus Adept. "We tried, Isaac," she whispered. "Really, we did. We agreed it was too dangerous to come in a group, so we came one at a time. Jenna went first, then Felix when she didn't return a week later. Ivan grew worried after a few weeks, and Sheba was concerned for him. Months passed and none of them returned. Imil was hit by a terrible epidemic, and as much as I wanted to help, to leave them would have been to desert dozens of lives…"

"What about Piers? And Garet?" Isaac inquired, now considerably less irate but still quite upset.

"Babi sent someone for me after many years; I assume Piers was still in Lemuria at the time. He visited every now, but he never stayed long and always left in a hurry. And Garet…"

"No way Lo-… Babi got Garet without a fight," Isaac thought aloud, correcting hundreds of years of habitually referring to that madman as his lord.

"Isaac… Please sit down," Mia requested. The boy objected and refused again when he received the order a second time. Giving up, the Mercury Adept continued anyway.

"A few days after you left, Garet was aiding in construction in the town. The ground was very soft due to a large storm the night before and many of the fountains threatened to give way. A tree fell and toppled large brick wall that had recently been built in a kind of domino effect, and Garet was crushed beneath it. By the time Felix was able to remove the wall…" Mia stopped, feeling it was sufficient to leave the explanation at that. She turned her gaze to Isaac to wait for a response.

"So he's dead," the soldier said emotionlessly, his eyes darkened. "And I heard nothing of it. For little more than nine hundred years."

Mia stood in reverent silence, an eerie quiet which was soon broken by Isaac's words.

"But if you what you say is true, the others should be here. Have you seen them?"

The woman sighed in thought. "Babi knows full well that we are close friends and that together we stand a chance of overthrowing him, so he's done everything in his power to keep us from ever seeing one another. Our case was special; he was tired of wasting valuable workforce on a single person, so he had one of his Mercury Adepts trained in the practice: me. My healing psynergy was the most advanced out of all the Mercury Adepts at Babi's disposal, so he appointed me to be your doctor today in case the process goes awry as it tends to do."

"So you haven't seen them," Isaac said, discreetly lecturing Mia for straying from the topic. "But that doesn't mean they aren't here."

The boy focused his gaze on the ground. After a moment's time, a brief tremor shook the room. The surveillance camera in the corner sizzled; the earthquake had severed a critical wire. "Mia, Babi can't see us now," he informed, "but we have to talk fast; no doubt he's sending someone down right now to investigate why his camera's signal was suddenly lost. How long does a person live without receiving Alchemic Draught after taking it for this long?"

"About a week, but—"

"A week," Isaac mused. "That's not much time… We'll have to make it work. I'm skipping this year's inoculation. Babi trusts me well enough that I have free reign of the castle; I'm going to look for the others. I suggest you do the same. We have to find them all, and fast. Let's meet in the training room in two days. Tell any of the others that you see. We'll discuss the rest then."

The door abruptly opened and a soldier entered. "What's going on?" he demanded. Isaac shrugged.

"Nothing apart from the norm. This doctor's good, though. A full dose of the Draught and not a one of those side-effects that I've come to know and love," he lied. "Is there a problem?"

"The surveillance camera shorted out," the soldier said gruffly. "Did _you_ have anything to do with this, grunt?"

Hundreds of years of cruelty and uncaring surfaced in Isaac's disposition. He hauled the soldier off the ground by his shirt collar and glared daggers into his startled eyes.

"Just _whom_ do you think you're talking to?" he growled menacingly. "Just _who_ do you think I am? I am Isaac, Venus Adept Warrior First Class! And I will _not_ tolerate being spoken to in such a manner!" He whipped a bladeless hilt out of his back pocket and pressed the seemingly decorative activation button. A sword of light, created by the graces of Alchemy, sprang to life. Isaac held the razor-sharp laser to his captive's throat, slowly applying pressure. The terrified man yelped as his flesh was sliced and cauterized all at once, leaving no blood but searing pain.

"Isaac, what are you doing!" Mia yelled, shaking the boy's arm pleadingly. The Adept retracted the blade and returned the hilt to its place, then tossed the soldier roughly to the floor. Frightened beyond words, the man scrambled out of the room whimpering for help.

Isaac's innocence had long since perished with his human life. This was what made him the valuable warrior he was. This was what made him the hero of the Proxian War: his utter disregard for life.

Mia stared at the cold-blooded murderer she had once known to be one of the most kind-hearted boys in all of Weyard.

"Isaac… Who are you?"

**Dun dun DUN. Man, I loved naming Babi's city. Babilon. It's obviously a spinoff of Babylon. It makes me laugh. I've already kicked off Chapter 5 with a BAM, but as I mentioned a couple chapters back… summer reading. I gotta do fifty pages a night. That way I can finish Scarlet Letter in a week.**

**Like you care about my personal life.**

**And can someone PLEASE make me review Yuja's new chapter already? PLEASE.**


	5. As If From a Dream

**Man, I totally crack up every time I write the word "Babilon". It's SUCH a blatant ripoff of Babylon.**

**I haven't said this at all yet, but I, like, totally don't own Golden Sun or anything.**

**AND I FINALLY BEAT THE DOOM DRAGON! WHOO! You'll notice all sorts of references to those ending scenes now that I was incapable of writing before.**

**Oh, and two points if you can figure out the meaning of the chapter's title.**

**Chapter 5: As If From a Dream**

Isaac sighed and stared at the ceiling from his bed. Mia's question had provoked contemplation he didn't want or need. _I'm Isaac of Vale_, he told himself. _I'm the Earth Adept who helped release Alchemy… I'm the hero that prevented Weyard from crumbling into oblivion…_

Somehow none of these portrayed him anymore. The hero that saved all of Weyard was also the hero that ruthlessly slaughtered countless innocents who had taken part in an uprising against Babi in Prox?

"Agh, why did you have to do that, Mia?" he groaned. He had approximately a week left of his life. He needed to spend his precious time plotting his escape, not questioning his existence.

There came a knock on his door. "Name yourself," he demanded, not feeling like getting up and crossing the room to answer the door. He received no more than another knock in reply. Isaac sat up angrily. "I said state your name!" he repeated. Silence.

"Fine, fine," he grumbled, standing and making his way to the door, "but when I open that door, you're gonna be introduced to my—"

The hydraulics hissed and the thick slab of metal parted revealing a girl a couple years younger than himself with pale flaxen hair and emerald eyes. An amethyst gem served as her brooch where the topaz did Isaac's, indicating that she was a Jupiter Adept.

_Sheba?_ Isaac thought. _No… Well, if it _is_ her, she'll just read my mind and—_

"And respond to what you're thinking?" the girl smiled, completing Isaac's train of though aloud. "It's a been a long time, Isaac. Babi's had me working left and right, leaving me nary a moment to try and find you. …What's wrong? Aren't you happy to see me?"

He was. The Venus Adept _was_ truly happy to see his friend again, completely unchanged from when he last saw her; Mia's age had startled him and given him doubts. Despite his happiness, however, Isaac could find no smile to present to his friend. He expression remained stoic and his eyes stared ahead stonily.

"I'm sorry, Sheba," he muttered, turning back into his room and seating himself upon the mattress. "I'm sure you understand, though. You can read my mind without even showing that you're trying to do such a thing."

The young Adept shook her head and walked forward to stand before Isaac. "Your mind is hazy with confusion, anger, and sadness. You aren't the same Isaac that I left after the Golden Sun rose. You're a different person entirely coincidentally inhabiting the same body my friend once did. You abandoned your friends and your humanity…"

"Oh, so now _I_ abandoned _you_?" Isaac concluded. "I willingly left my destroyed town and deserted my closest friends to serve a self-righteous old fool whose greed is matched only by his cruelty? I'm _so_ sorry, Sheba. So sorry indeed."

Sheba growled in frustration. "You decided on your own will that you'd never see us again. You gave up on your own terms. You accepted Babi's control over you without question," she explained. "I'm not blaming you for what has happened. I'm blaming you for what you've let yourself become as a result."

"Well then I'm _so_ freaking sorry that I didn't see any of you for a thousand years! My _deepest_ apologies that I was forced to serve in a war and grow accustomed to killing people! I suppose it's all _my_ fault that I would be severely punished if I didn't take lives!" the boy raved. Sheba sighed.

"You're right, Isaac," she said sarcastically. "It's not your fault that you gave up on fighting for what's right as you always have." She turned to leave, then said over her shoulder, "I'm going to look for the others. I hope to see the real Isaac in a couple of days. _I_ haven't given up, Isaac of Babilon."

The door slid closed. Isaac listened as the footsteps grew faint and disappeared. He threw himself backwards, resuming his state of staring at the ceiling. Had he really changed so much? Even after all that time, he still thought of himself as Isaac of Vale. However, Sheba seemed to notice the same thing Mia had.

"Just because my personality has changed a little doesn't make me a totally different person," he mumbled to himself. He thought back to the Proxian War and the things he had done in that frozen wasteland. It was five hundred years ago; Babi was solidifying his control over Weyard and Prox wasn't about to let him come into power so easily. The nation of Mars Adepts heard tales of his wrath and was determined to stop him. Babi got word of the rebellion immediately and dispatched his Adept army, Isaac among them. At that point he was a moderately-ranked soldier: just another run-of-the-mill Adept.

Prox's defense was incredible; they're psynergy was highly advanced and their warriors were skilled in battle. Babi's forces were being driven away. As Isaac watched his comrades fall, each of them an innocent Adept forced into the war just like him, he grew enraged. The Proxians were clueless. They were just fighting because they didn't like Babi, and they didn't care who they had to kill to keep him away from them.

As Lauren, a gentle Venus Adept Isaac had befriended, was downed, the boy completely forgot that Prox was the country that had kept Felix and his parents safe. With his most powerful psynergies and his nine Djinn, he single-handedly overwhelmed the Proxian forces. He finished with a summon of Judgment, annihilating all of Prox. What remained of the Adept army cheered Isaac's name, and he was presented the title of Hero upon his return to Babilon as well as awarded the position of commander.

Isaac tried to recall the moment when Judgment collided with Prox. He remembered the terrified screams of women and children, and he clearly recollected seeing people fleeing their homes and trying desperately to outrun the horrifying attack. A young girl had tripped in the snow, and he narrowed his eyes in remorse as he remembered watching her small body rip and tear under the force of his Djinn.

He had never felt any regret for his actions until now. To think that very same town was the one that had told him they were forever in his debt, that they would always remember him.

"And now they'll always remember me for being Babi's puppet of destruction…"

Isaac sat upright and glanced out the window. It was late, and dark clouds were gathering around the full moon, promising rain later that night. Babi may have found eternal life, but he was still old. He would have retired to bed by this point. The Adept removed the topaz brooch and tied his cloak in a knot to maintain its form as he used to wear it. He removed the electronic hilt from his pocket and found his old Excalibur that had been returned to him after the Proxian War.

He summoned Flint to the palm of his hand and eyed the creature curiously.

"My friend, you have been with me for all this time, yet you've never said a word to me," he commented. "Why, Flint? You spoke to me when we first met, and you'd often tell me things during our journey, but since I've had to work for Babi, I haven't heard you say a thing."

"If you are a servant, then I am no more than a tool," the Djinni grumbled. "And I am _no_ tool. I am an ancient creature of great power, and where that power was once used to save lives, now you use it to take them."

Isaac sighed and averted his gaze. "It's almost as if for all this time I've been asleep, and now, as I can feel my life fading, I'm waking up. What I've done is wrong. What Babi's done, more so. I won't allow myself to die until I've corrected this situation," he vowed. Flint flashed momentarily, and the topaz lying on Isaac's bed flickered in response. A golden glow surrounded it, and the gem now looked more brilliant than it ever had.

"What's this?" the Adept question, turning the jewel over in his hands as Flint watched from his new perch on Isaac's shoulder.

"That," the creature replied, "is the Star of Venus."

Isaac whipped his head towards the Djinni, then turned back to the item in his hand. "No," he breathed. "That was cast into the Venus Lighthouse. I saw it myself. How is it here now?"

Flint beamed. "It's always been with you, Isaac," he explained. "It was the Wise One's final gift. It contains the essence of the Golden Sun, or at least some of it. Your heart was so clouded with hate that it couldn't be revealed to you before. But, like you said, you're waking up. Use its power well." The Djinni vanished until Isaac needed it again. The boy dug the Mythril Bag he was surprised to still have out of his old belongings and placed the Star within, securing the bag tightly shut and putting it in his pocket.

The door abruptly opened, Iodem standing before it.

"Isaac, you are to see Babi immediately. He says it's urgent." Without another word the man departed, leaving the Earth Adept startled. Babi was awake? Then… had he caught wind of what Isaac had obtained? He decided not to jump to conclusions and headed to Babi's quarters. The massive doors were already open, and he could see that were several other top-ranking officers within. Isaac feared the worst.

"Come in, already," the haggard old man demanded. "And shut the door behind you." Isaac did as he was told and stood at the back of the congregation. Several of the officers raised an eyebrow; the young Adept had earned a reputation for not taking anything from anyone and always forcing his way to the head of things. His current behavior was curious at the least.

"It's late and I'm tired, so I'm not going to mince words with you," Babi barked bitterly. "Garoh is assembling an army with the intent to attack Babilon. I'm sending only my best, and I want you all to get it done and over with quickly so I can go to bed. Isaac!"

The addressed raised his hand. Many of the others in the room were much taller than him. "I'm putting you in charge of this outfit. Everyone, go to the weapons storage and pick something merciless. Head directly to the transportation units; no dilly-dallying," Babi commanded, waving a hand to dismiss the assembly. The officers responded with a "sir yes sir" and filed out of the room. Isaac had chosen a fine place to stand; he was at the back of the crowd during the briefing and left the room first, giving Babi no opportunity whatsoever to notice anything different about him, such as the fact that he was carrying his old sword instead of his new one forged by Alchemy.

Since the Venus Adept already had a weapon on hand, he headed directly for large door in the back of the weapons cellar. This passageway resembled the one he had seen in Sol Sanctum so long ago, and by simply changing a few configurations on the nearby console it could take one anywhere they desired. Isaac set the coordinates for Garoh and stepped through, finding himself standing before what hardly looked like the small army Babi had made it out to be.

"Babi's forces have arrived!" the head of the entourage declared. "Forward, men! For Garoh and for all of Weyard!"

A sudden chill descended upon Isaac as he took his sword to hand. These people were innocent. They just wanted Babi gone, and their battle plan was their last desperate attempt at such a feat. Isaac lowered his sword and raised his hand, palm out, in greeting.

"That's Babi's top warrior, the one who wiped out all of Prox without lifting a finger!" one of the warriors warned. The Earth Adept blinked and stood still, momentarily confounded. He didn't even know the people of Garoh had knowledge of Prox's existence.

Before he could react, one of Garoh's infamous werewolves rammed him head on and sank its fangs into Isaac's arm. Or this was at least its intention, as its teeth were met by the impenetrable steel plates grafted into the boy's skin. A fighter impaled him with a spear from behind, and Isaac stumbled backwards.

While the boy came meaning no harm, the sudden attack immersed him anew in the nightmare that was his bloodthirst. He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, and the metal seemed to sing for a moment. He raised it above his head, and a swirling vortex appeared in response. It was Excalibur's true might: Legend.

Spears of light rained forth from the portal, and the soldiers darted about trying to dodge them. But wherever the projectiles collided, huge explosions occurred, leaving the men without hope for escape. Someone grabbed Isaac from behind, causing him to drop his sword, and the attack halted as a result. Two-thirds of the army was demolished. The rest of them screamed for reinforcements as Isaac struggled against whomever held him.

"Let me go! Let go of me!" he demanded angrily.

"Not until you see what you're doing!" came the person's reply. "Open your eyes, Isaac! Stop this madness! I've been serving Babi longer than you, but do you see me behaving in such a manner? These people are helpless!"

"Oh, a traitor?" Isaac growled. He focused his psynergy and the ground trembled. The earth beneath them split, golden light leaking through. His foe released him in shock, and he darted out of the way of the massive Mother Gaia.

The Venus Adept whipped around to see which of his fellow soldiers had betrayed him. A young man stood in the center of the volcano of light, his arms crossed in front of his face to shield his head from the rocks soaring from the depths of the earth. Isaac narrowed his eyes. There was a small blue creature bearing a slight resemblance to a crab perched upon the man's head, and it was emitting an azure light that engulfed the proximity.

This creature was a Mercury Djinni—most likely Shade, one of the three Djinn that could create protective barriers.

But there were only eight people in all of Weyard with Djinn, and only two with those of the Mercury variety. As the light from Mother Gaia died down, the Lemurian warrior stood upon the fractured ground.

"Surprised to see me still alive after that?" Piers inquired aloofly.

**Ooooohh, it's everyone's favorite Lemurian dude. So where's he been? Didn't Mia mention how he came and left abruptly during his visits? And what's all this about "I've been serving Babi longer than you"? So much for five chapters.**

**There is a reason they went to Garoh. Or… there was. I sort of scrapped the last page of the chapter and rewrote it. Hehe… Now they're just there because werewolves are awesome.**

**Please review and give me the will to make that July 31 deadline! PLEASE! And if you can think of a better summary that will get more people to read this (personally, if I hadn't written this and I was browsing for Golden Sun fanfiction, I wouldn't click something with a summary like this one), please DO feel free to share.**


	6. Isaac of Vale

**Whew, is it just me, or are these chapters getting longer?**

**I really, I mean REALLY don't want to start forcing myself to write, but I've gotta meet that end-of-the-month deadline. Well, this time we have some angsteh Isaac, a fight scene, more angsteh Isaac, and dialogue. Lots and lots of dialogue.**

**I hate writing dialogue. I absolutely hate when the characters get into a conversation. But who am I to tell them to shut up? That's no way to write a story.**

**Chapter 6: Isaac of Vale**

"Piers," Isaac breathed. He regained his composure and his expression hardened. "Just what are you doing!"

"What am _I_ doing?" the Water Adept repeated. "I could ask you the same. These people aren't trying to hurt you, and you—"

"They're not trying to hurt me! Oh, is that what this is?" Isaac questioned sarcastically, gesturing to the bleeding wound through his shoulder. "This is them 'not trying to hurt me'? I had _no_ idea!"

"Would you please stop?" Piers implored. "My patience has its limits. They aren't trying to hurt _you_. They just want to get rid of Babi. They don't know or care who you are."

Isaac glanced over his shoulder at the battle raging. Many had already fallen. Many more were going down. Cries of agony and the stench of blood filled the air. The Adepts were outnumbered, but the villagers lacked skill or experience. It was already growing clear that the people of Garoh were faring horribly.

"Stop," Isaac whispered. He clenched his hands into fists. "I SAID STOP!"

The words ricocheted off the cliff face, echoing through the canyon. The Adept soldiers and desperate townspeople halted their conflict in shock and stared at the young commander.

"Where is the captain of Garoh's army?" he demanded. A middle-aged man wielding a spear that also acted as a rifle stepped forth.

Isaac nodded in greeting. "Disband your forces and we will leave," he promised.

"Like we're going to believe that from the mouth of one of Babi's murderous lapdogs," the man scoffed.

It was precisely this kind of insult that Isaac couldn't stand: being underestimated. He lifted Excalibur, it's point buried in the ground like a tree, and held it to the man's throat in a single fluid motion.

"You will believe me or you will die now," he warned venomously. Piers placed a restraining hand on the boy's uninjured shoulder.

"Isaac, that's no way to earn trust," he reprimanded. The Earth Adept spun around on his heel, and suddenly it was the Lemurian who was faced with the lethal blade.

"Trust is a funny thing," Isaac murmured. "I trusted my friends to come for me when I thought there was no way out. I trusted myself to hang on until they did. But no one ever came."

Piers frowned. "Surely Mia told you… Everyone went looking. Everyone was apprehended by Babi," he reminded.

"Not you!"

The accused stifled a gasp as the shining silver was pressed against his skin.

"Mia told me how everyone tried to help, except you. She said you were nowhere in sight. She said you disappeared."

Piers smiled lightly and tried to push the sword's edge away from him, but Isaac refused him this and tightened his grasp on the hilt. "A few days after we all parted ways, I heard a rumor that Babi was up to something. The King of Lemuria told me that I should investigate my suspicions, so I became a spy for my country and joined his forces. This was long before you were involved."

"So you were Babi's right-hand man from the start?" the boy concluded, receiving a stiff nod in reply. He lowered his blade briefly, then suddenly raised it again and swung it like a bat. The broad, flat side collided with the side of Piers' face, catching him off guard knocking him to the ground.

"So you knew he was after me before Iodem even came to Vale!" Isaac shouted furiously. Piers raised his hand in defense.

"Please, Isaac. I didn't…"

"YOU LIE!"

The boy extended his hand before him as an ominous glow enveloped it. Piers summoned Shade to his side, but the small Djinni was enveloped with a light yellow aura, indicating it was still recovering from its last use. Two spires of golden light formed on either side of Isaac, soon taking the form of massive swords.

Piers' eyes widened in dread when he recognized the psynergy. The young Earth Adept, absorbed in his rage, conducted the shining blades with his own. His former ally attempted to roll out of the way as the first sliced through the air with power enough to make all the mountain tremble. The Lemurian's fortune was not as he had hoped, and the first wave of the devastating Odyssey hit him full-force.

The man staggered to his feet and brushed his hand across his chin to wipe away the trail of blood. Isaac launched the second sword at him and, exhausted from the previous Mother Gaia and now this, Piers could do little if anything to dodge. An earth-shattering explosion was the result of the impact.

The Mercury Adept lie upon the ground, his chest rising and falling as he drew in deep gasps of air. A third sword of light appeared, adhering itself to Isaac's Excalibur, and the boy charged forth to strike. Piers forced himself to remain calm and triggered his psynergy.

A shield of ice appeared before him: Glacier, manipulated into what Piers needed it to be. Isaac, having fought alongside the Lemurian many times in the past, adapted his own form of Diamond Berg and sliced through the ice to his target. Fortunately, by the time it reached Piers, the strength of the attack had dwindled. The man took the blow, hoping the armor grafted into his torso would serve its purpose well.

Isaac propelled himself backwards, and Piers was delighted to find that he had weathered the attack with minimal damage. He turned his gaze fiercely to his apparent foe, who smirked in reply. The boy pointed up smugly, and Piers stifled a cry of shock. The remnants of his Glacier psynergy had fractured into sharp wedges that now plummeted from the heavens to deliver his doom.

With great agility the Water Adept danced out of the way of the falling spears of ice. It seemed Isaac had dissected the shield with great care as well as swiftness; even a mere grazing of the pieces warranted deep cuts.

When the remainder of the Glacier had at last fallen, the ground was littered with large bricks of ice. The normally crisp whites and blues of said ice were dyed scarlet with blood, and the owner of that blood stood waveringly, holding an especially severe gash on his forearm. Isaac approached the debilitated man nonchalantly and placed the tip of his sword against Piers' neck.

"Farewell, Piers of Lemuria," he whispered, drawing the blade back in preparation to deal the final blow.

"Wait," the Mercury Adept groaned. "Isaac, please… Is this how you want to go down? You have a week left to live; are you really going to spend these precious few days boasting to Babi about having killed a traitor?"

Isaac blinked and held his sword in an opportune position but did not strike. He lowered his gaze to the ground. "You don't understand," he muttered.

"That's because you haven't told me," Piers chuckled. He cast a quick Pure Ply to replenish his energy and hauled himself off the ground. Isaac made no move to apprehend him. "Garoh's forces have retreated. Why don't we just go back to Babilon for now?"

The Venus Adept nodded once, his eyes still locked to the earth. His shoulders slumped in surrender, and lifelessly he allowed himself to be guided to the transportation portal the other soldiers had opened.

The castle was quiet. Normally Babi was there to greet his men when they returned from a battle. Confused but not disappointed, the warriors shrugged it off and returned to their respective quarters.

"Isaac, get some rest tomorrow," Piers suggested. "I'll round up the others. Don't forget: we're to meet in the training room day after tomorrow."

The boy nodded slowly and seemed to almost glide back to his room. His steps were languid and deliberate, as though he were sleep-walking.

When he reached his chamber, he collapsed upon his bed, staring blankly at the wall before him. Before long sleep claimed him, and for the first time in hundreds of years he dreamed of his friends. More specifically, he dreamed of Garet.

"Looks like you're being a real idiot, huh, bud?" the Fire Adept smirked cockily. Isaac glanced sharply about himself. They were standing in Vale, or at least what appeared to be Vale. The buildings were abandoned, many charred by fire. The ground was hard and barren like scorched stone. It wasn't at all a welcoming sight to behold of one's hometown.

"Yeah, I guess Vale didn't fare so well," the redheaded boy shrugged.

"What are you talking about?" Isaac inquired. He was startled by the sound of his voice. Somehow it seemed… younger.

"Babi burned the place to the ground as soon as he got his hands on Felix and Jenna. He didn't have any more use for the place," Garet explained.

"And my parents?" the Earth Adept asked worriedly.

"Kyle and Dora?" Specters in their visage appeared as their names were stated, though they faded shortly after. "Dead in the fire. They tried to get out, but the house basically fell in around them."

Isaac's heart sank. "So… Babi murdered them…"

"In a way, I guess," Garet shrugged. He noticed that his pococurante behavior seemed to be upsetting his friend.

"Look, I'm sorry I couldn't be more supportive, but when you're dead for, like, a thousand years…"

"It's okay," Isaac said meekly. "Maybe I should just wake up now…"

"Ah, so you know it's a dream?" Garet presumed. The blonde boy nodded in response. "Well, then why don't you talk to your parents?"

Isaac raised an eyebrow. "'Cause… they're not here?"

"Well, if that's how you want to think of it…"

The surroundings began to fade, Garet with them.

"Wait! Where are you going?" the Earth Adept called.

"You're waking up…"

Isaac bolted upright in his bed. The sky was as satin, tinted with the pinks and blues of dawn. The boy got the feeling that he hadn't slept for merely a few hours, but rather that plus an entire day. "Appointments," he said loudly. There came a small beep.

"Appointment with Mia. Location: training room. Time: thirty-one minutes and fifteen seconds," an electronic voice informed. Isaac groaned and stood from the mattress. He could think of nothing to occupy his time for half an hour more, so he grabbed Excalibur and headed straight for the training room. Upon his arrival, it appeared that everyone else also had trouble finding something else to do. Isaac was the last to arrive.

The atmosphere of the room changed greatly as he entered. Where there wasn't a sigh of relief, there was instead a smile of greeting. Felix sat upon a metallic bench in the center of the chamber, running his hand over Sol Blade, his old brand. Jenna, perched over her brother's shoulder, grinned brightly. Ivan and Sheba sat to the side, watching, and Piers and Mia stood as if they had been pacing.

Felix's emerald brooch flashed once and eight lights surrounded him. This occurred to all present except Isaac, who had removed his brooch. He felt a sudden warmth in his pocket and drew the Mythril Bag forth. He drew it open and his own Djinn emerged in a burst of light. The creatures swarmed about one another with great pleasure; they had apparently missed their comrades greatly.

"Well, Isaac, long time no see," Felix greeted with a nod.

"Tch, _that's_ putting it bluntly," Jenna scoffed.

"I was worried something had happened to you in the Proxian War," Ivan smiled.

"Something _did_ happen," Sheba muttered.

"Isaac, are you back to normal?" Mia asked.

"Feeling better now?" Piers said with concern.

They all began talking at once, questioning or otherwise replying to each other's comments. Isaac chuckled to himself and drew the topaz gem forth from the Mythril Bag. Jenna recognized it immediately.

"Isn't that…?"

"The Star of Venus?" Mia interrupted, awestruck.

"But Saturos threw that into the Venus Lighthouse," Felix reminisced.

"He did," Isaac confirmed. "But Flint told me that it contains the essence of the Golden Sun, and that the Wise one gave it to me to keep it away from Alex."

"That makes sense," Ivan reflected, "to a certain degree. I mean, if he wanted to keep Alex from getting to it, you think he would have put it somewhere safer. You know, somewhere where Alex had absolutely no chance of finding it. He could have just attacked you at any time."

"It makes perfect sense," Sheba said. "The Wise One probably knew all of this would happen."

Isaac closed his hand firmly around the gem.

"And he knew we'd need it to set things right."

"So you really intend to overthrow Babi," Piers determined, a hint of remorse lingering on his voice. Mia tilted her head in curiosity.

"Piers, you sound almost… disappointed," she noticed. Piers shook his head.

"Disappointed, no. Putting an end to that tyrant will benefit all of Weyard. I am merely… perturbed. If the Wise One knew we'd need the Star of Venus now, then he knew events would unfold as they have, yet he didn't as much as warn us."

"He said time and time again that he couldn't interfere with humanity," Sheba reminded, shuttering at the quote. The last time they'd heard that, they were forced to fight their loved ones for the sake of the world.

"Who cares how it all turned out?" Jenna snapped. "We're here now and that's all that matters. Isaac, what's the plan?"

The addressed grinned, his blue eyes gleaming with newfound hope and determination. "I never was the best strategist," he admitted, his gaze sweeping over his companions standing before him.

"But I think I can manage to work a little something out… with the help of my friends."

**How corny. XD**

**Well, looks like Isaac's back to normal. Of course, who knows when's the next time he'll snap. By the by, pococurante nonchalant casual. Shift F7 opens thesaurus. n.n;**

**Oh, and I don't wanna spoil anything, but as a forewarning: I'm a sucker for sad endings that look happy if you twist them around.**


	7. When Things Go Amiss

**Oh. My. Gawd. Most boring chapter EVER. I'm practically falling asleep here.**

**I blame "The Scarlet Letter". It's sapping me dry.**

**Chapter 7: When Things Go Amiss**

Isaac conveyed in a hushed tone the plan he had spent so long concocting but never had the resources or support to put into action. It was brilliant in its design, yet worthless without enough cooperating parties.

"We being tomorrow night," he began solemnly. "Felix, Piers, and Mia will start us off by disabling the surveillance cameras with their Psynergy. Felix, you take the cameras in the soldiers' bunkers. Piers, head west, and Mia can go east. Jenna, do you still have all those sleep bombs that were left over?"

The brunette girl nodded eagerly, glad that she hadn't disposed of her things as she once intended to do. "All right, good," Isaac continue, relief evident in his voice. "When Felix finishes with the cameras, he'll radio you. When he does this, Jenna, go into every room and use a sleep bomb. In fact, toss a couple in to make sure. Piers and Mia, you guys alert Ivan and Sheba, respectively, when you finish. You two patrol the castle, Ivan from the lower west and Sheba from the upper east. Make sure there are no soldiers in the halls. If you find any, cast Sleep on them."

The two nodded in understanding. "And us? What about when Felix, Piers, Jenna and I have done our parts?" Mia inquired.

"Come to the medical room and wait there. That goes for you too, Ivan and Sheba. Once all seven of you are there, radio me. I'll be tracking Babi and making sure he stays well away from all of you with Mud and Ground to slow him or stop him altogether. When I receive your signal, I'll rendezvous with you all in the hall leading to Babi's room. From there, we confront him directly. Without anyone to protect him, we'll take him out in no time."

"That takes care of Babi, but what happens then?" Felix wondered aloud. Isaac grinned.

"I've got that covered too," he assured. "Felix, if I recall correctly, you had a whole ton of elixirs left over after our journey. Do you still have them?"

The Earth Adept shook his head. "I gave them all to Sheba to hold onto," he said, turning to look at the named girl. She nodded in reassurance.

"I still have them."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, make sure you bring those with you," Isaac remarked. "Mia and Piers, you guys can use your Frost psynergy to freeze the contents of the elixirs solid. Then Felix and Jenna will pulverize them into dust, and Ivan and Sheba will use Whirlwind to distribute the powdered elixirs through the ventilation system. That'll wake up all the sleeping soldiers."

"And you?" Ivan inquired curiously.

"I'll be programming the equipment that keeps Babilon in the air to self-destruct."

A startled gasp was his reply. "If you do that, we'll all…" Sheba began, trailing off when she felt her sentence needn't be finished.

Isaac shook his head. "No, trust me," he said. "I can delay it. Before long all the Adepts in the castle will be awake, and we can tell them about the self-destruct sequence with the PA system. They get out via the transportation units in the weapons storage room, we go out after them, Babilon goes boom, problem solved."

"But what about the people in the city?" Jenna asked in concern. "It's great that we can get all those exploited Adepts to safety, but we can't sacrifice the townspeople. There're more of them than there are soldiers."

Isaac bit his lip thoughtfully. He hadn't seen the rest of Babilon in so long he had forgotten about them all.

"They'll all be asleep… so we have to think of some way to wake them."

"How about we summon someone with our Djinn?" Piers suggested. "Ivan and I could summon Coatlicue. She won't do any harm, but she'll make enough of a scene to wake them all."

"And if that doesn't work," Sheba added, "we can always run down the streets screaming for everyone to come outside. We can get them all out with the Teleport psyergy."

Isaac smiled as his plan came together before his very eyes. If only he'd known sooner that his friends were there with him. Maybe then they could have gotten out while he still had more than a few days to live. It dawned on him that he hadn't yet told his companions about this, and his confident grin faded. This did not go unnoticed.

"Is something wrong, Isaac?" Felix asked, his brow furrowed with worry. The boy shook his head in response. Nothing _was_ wrong. Everything was perfect. In less than two days all of Weyard would be free of Babi and his malevolent reign. One life was a meager price to pay.

A bright light shined through the window, setting a magnificent dance of golden rays alight upon the seven Adepts' faces. For a brief moment all of them felt a warmth in their hearts that made them believe, if only for a fraction of a second, that Garet was there among them.

"We should probably go about business normally," Felix stated. "And we should get started soon. Babi will be waking up any minute. He's probably already suspicious of us, since Isaac and Piers had a mission together recently."

The others voiced their assent. It was agreed that the plan would start in the hall leading to the medical chamber at midnight. They said their farewells and departed. Isaac's heart was tight with anxiousness. He began furiously tearing apart his plan for a way something could go wrong. Finding nothing did little if anything to put his mind at east. He was consumed with the same feeling of dread that he had nearly a thousand years ago as Iodem guided him through the streets of Tolbi.

The day dragged on for what could easily have been years. Isaac performed his patrol duty as the designated time and had a light lunch consisting of little more than a sandwich. That evening, he was summoned to Babi's office.

Just because he could find nothing to set his plan awry didn't mean there was nothing.

"Isaac, I understand you are aware that Mia and Piers are also a part of my Adept army," the man coughed, his age prominent. Isaac shrugged.

"I saw them, yes," he admitted, trying to retain the airy, apathetic attitude he was known for. He silently drew a deep breath and straightened his posture. He realized that he was growing very tired very quickly. "If that's all that you wanted to say, I'll be going."

"What's the hurry? Do you have some _plans_ for tonight?"

"Kind of."

"Oh?" Babi leaned forward with interest. "Such as?"

"Sleeping," Isaac yawned, receiving a scowl in return.

"I know what you're up to," Babi growled, his voice dangerously low. "I know you're planning something. And I'll be ready for you."

"Whatever." Without waiting to be dismissed, Isaac turned and left the room, heading for his own. He closed the door behind him and placed either hand upon it, leaning on them as support. His breath was heavy, and he could only presume that his face was deathly pale. Was it really his nervousness doing this to him, though? The incorrect dose of Alchemic Draught had tormented him for as long as he had been an Adept soldier. It wasn't beyond possibility that now his life was draining more quickly than it would for anyone else.

The idea frightened Isaac; he couldn't allow himself rest until he was sure Babi was gone. He lay upon his mattress for a time to retain as much strength as he could. A brief beeping startled him from his placid trance.

"Appointment with Babi in fifteen minutes," his computer alarm informed in its halting electronic voice.

"Appointment indeed," Isaac chuckled to himself. He located his favorite articles of armor: the Golden Shirt, a hearty chain mail shirt that was near impenetrable; the Erinyes Tunic, which somehow made his attacks hit harder and allowed him quicker movement; Alastors Hood, a useful helmet that seemed to call spirits to haunt his foes; and the Mirrored Shield, a fine shield that he valued for its ability to confuse those he fought. He also slipped on a silver ring set with a ruby that granted his attacks a whole new level of fury, the War Ring.

Garbed with only his best armor and weaponry, he set out for the medical room, or at least the hall leading to it. Babi's castle was enormous, and even at the brisk pace with which Isaac traveled, the trip took all of ten minutes. As he could have predicted, his companions were there waiting for him.

"Well, aren't we looking fancy?" Felix remarked, referring to Isaac's dress. Jenna pouted.

"I wish I had thought to wear my old armor," she murmured.

Briefly the went over the plan once more, ironing out any wrinkles and making sure everyone knew their part. At five past midnight, they set to work.

Isaac immediately crept to Babi's room and gently opened the door a sliver. The soft light of an illuminated lamp flooded into the hall. The Adept surveyed the room. A shiver ran down his spine when he found that Babi was still awake. He sat at his desk, scribbling on a stack of papers. Occasionally he moved a leaf of paper aside and took another from the stack beside him. Something seemed suspicious about it, but the boy couldn't place what. He shrugged it off and watched intently, fervently anticipating the signal from his friends.

The young Adept stiffened. He had been dosing. Hesitantly he glanced at the clock on his transceiver. It had been little more than an hour. Babi was still in his room, scribbling away. If he had attempted to leave, Isaac, having been right outside the door, would have known at once. What troubled him was that the stack of papers hadn't dwindled at all from an hour before. Isaac decided that the old man must have taken a break to do something else.

He jumped as a series of beeps were emitted from his radio. There was a message displayed on the LCD screen from Felix, stating that they were all in the medical quarters waiting for him. With one last glance at the strangely-behaving Babi, Isaac rose from his seat on the floor and reported to the designated area.

"Every soldier in the castle is fast asleep," Ivan notified. Sheba nodded to confirm this.

"There was no resistance," she added.

"All cameras are disabled," Felix assured.

"All sleep bombs are gone," Jenna shrugged, displaying an empty sack as proof.

"I've got the elixirs over here," Piers said, jabbing his thumb at a burlap bag full of orange bottles between him and Mia.

"We're all here and accounted for," Isaac muttered to himself. "Let's get going."

Before long the seven Adepts stood before the double doors leading to Babi's chambers. They took their weapons to hand. Some of the Djinn were poised upon their owners' shoulders, a red glow illuminating their bodies. They were ready to work together to summon any creature the group required, even the mighty Isis.

Isaac took a deep breath and threw open the doors. Babi remained at his desk, still writing whatever information needed transcribing.

"Babi!" Isaac called. The man made no response. He didn't as much as lift his eyes from the paper. When he announced the name a second time, he received no more or less of a reply. It was as if the ruler of Babilon had suddenly become deaf and blind.

"Well, if he has no last words, let's take care of this," Felix shrugged, approaching the desk boldly, Sol Blade ready in his hands. He uttered a gasp when he arrived at the chosen spot of the execution.

"These papers," he began slowly, reaching for said papers, "they're all blank. They're…"

Everyone gasped as the form of the stack of papers faltered and wavered as Felix attempted to pick one up.

"It's… a hologram!" Mia breathed in sudden realization.

"Very good."

Everyone whipped around to find the owner of the voice. Babi stood between the two doors, glowering at the Adepts, particularly at Isaac.

"I knew I was a fool to trust you," he thought aloud.

"At least you know and aren't afraid to admit it," Jenna sneered.

"Feisty, aren't you?" Babi grinned. "You'll need that spice. Allow me to introduce you to my latest little advance." He pulled forth a syringe from the folds of his cloak. The liquid inside was clear but thick like syrup.

"One dose of this will grant me power beyond your wildest imagination. I understand you've come here to attempt to defeat me and destroy Babilon?" He paused to scoff at the mere notion of the idea. "I'd love to see you try."

Without a word of warning Babi jabbed the point of the syringe directly into his wrist. His veins hardened and blackened as the blood responded. His skin began to heave and undulate, twisting and growing in a most hideous fashion.

The group drew back in surprise and disgust. Isaac dropped his guard and watched as Babi's form expanded. Appendages sprouted and his clothes tore away.

A whisper a voice blew through the room upon the wind that seemed to say quite cockily, "Another dragon?" Had the companions not been distracted by what used to be Babi's ear-shattering roars, they may have recognized the voice to be that of Garet.

"SUFFER!" the dragon demanded, heaving itself from the ground with a single stroke of its wings. It crashed through the roof and soared into the sky, pausing to expel a breath of flame at the rebellious Adepts below.

The fire engulfed the room, and Babi grinned in a dragonly demeanor when he didn't see them fleeing. As the inferno died away and the smoke dissipated, so did Babi's smirk. Six of the Adepts stood in a circle around Isaac, whose one hand thrust into the air cradled his Djinni Granite. The creature had created a protective barrier around them all, and they were utterly unharmed.

"Come, now, Lord Babi," the Earth Adept sneered sarcastically. "Certainly you didn't think it was going to be _that_ easy."

In his hand glowed the Star of Venus, shining more brightly than it ever had.

**Uuuuugh. Five chapters my fanfiction-loving asphalt. And YES, the street in front of my house DOES write fanfiction, thank-you-very-much.**

**And now I have to write a fight scene? With seven people to keep track of? Come oooooonn….**

**Hey! Who votes on making it easier on me and doing this whole battle thing like a turn-based fight in GS? XD Not literally, but with only four people fighting at a time… Yeah, I think I'll do that. Garet not being there throws it out of whack, but its all good.**

**I have a little something planned for the big finish. X3 Beware.**

**And finally, everyone give your regards to The Light's Refrain for the new summary!**


	8. Finally Free

**Fighting scenes, fighting scenes, fighting scenes. Around 1300 words I was seriously questioning whether or not I'd be able to finish.**

**This chapter clocks in at 3400. I write best at night. Therein lies the problem: When I look up from writing and see that it's a quarter to midnight and I have to do some reading before going to sleep. But I got it done! And it's a good'un!**

**Chapter 8: Finally Free**

Babi roared viciously and expelled another blast of flame at the Adepts below. Felix used Clay Spire to block the fires and whipped around to face Isaac.

"You, Mia, and Ivan get to higher grounds," he ordered. "Attack him from above. My sister, Piers, Sheba and I will stay here and wear it down."

"You're the one who needs to live, Isaac," Jenna added when the boy opened his mouth to protest. "You're the one with the Star of Venus. And we all know that you're going to be the one to bring Babi down. Now go!"

Mia and Ivan, approving of the plan, took Isaac by either arm and persuaded him to follow them.

Piers chuckled. "I'm not sure that was the best move, Felix," he commented. "You just sent off our best chance at beating this thing."

"We can't beat it," Sheba said dismally. "We can only weaken it for Isaac and the others. Shall we get to work?"

The child called upon the power of Shine Plasma. The bolts of liquid energy impaled Babi, ripping holes through the delicate skin of his wings. The dragon bellowed in pain and rage and swiped a massive clawed hand at his foe. Sheba cast High Impact as Felix used Meld to double-team with Piers and hold the attack off. Their blades were repelled by the tough hide acting as Babi's only armor. It was more than enough, however, to protect him from the meager assault.

Felix growled and readied himself for a second try. His blade sang, and the brunette warrior recognized this as an opportunity to perform Megiddo. He leapt into the air as a meteor was called forth and batted the blazing orb down with his sword.

The dragon swept his great wings, causing a blast of air that slowed the meteor's rapid approach. When it appeared this alone would not completely parry it, he breathed a gust of flames to propel it back. Felix, still descending, could do little more than watch as his own attack hurled towards him.

Piers summoned an immense ball of ice which, in its plummet, directed the meteor away from Felix. Slicing through them both with all the power and agility of Diamond Berg, Piers created thousands of dagger-like shards of ice which Sheba coupled with Tornado to hurl at their foe. Babi swatted many of the ice spears away, but the raging whirlwinds struck him full force. Distracted by the storm, the remainder of Piers' arsenal of ice managed to pierce Babi's flesh.

Blood issued forth from the wounds, and while the injuries in themselves were minute, the mere notion that his defenses had been thwarted infuriated the dragon. He soared up into the sky, now black between the dead of night and the clouds, and dove down upon his former minions. The Adepts hurried out of the way, but the floor shuddered upon impact and threatened to give way. Babi found the chamber too small and took to the skies once again, his wing beats producing blasts of air that had Felix and his companions staggering to regain their footing. Jenna cried out as she slipped, an action that only attracted the dragon's attention.

He breathed another blast of flame and Jenna was hit. Felix brought forth Flower, who expended his power by restoring health to the warriors. Jenna called upon the power of Reflux. The crimson Djinni launched a powerful counterattack, but it did little to harm the dragon.

Piers noticed Babi's resistance to the fire element and used Sour to weaken it. His foe appeared unfazed, though his wrath had been rekindled. He dealt a mighty blow to the already-crumbling floor with his tail. The floor yielded and collapsed, sending the four Adepts plummeting down with it.

Sheba, the first to emerge from the rubble, summoned Waft to calm Babi into submission. A gently breeze blew, carrying with it the soothing scent of flowers. The aroma penetrated the dragon's mind and pacified his rage, if only for a moment. Seizing the opportunity, the young Jupiter Adept focused her psynergy into her most powerful attack: Spark Plasma. Babi, lulled by Sheba's Djinni, could do little more than take the hit.

"Felix! Attack now!" the girl shouted. Felix nodded in understanding and raised his sword as two more of light appeared beside him. As the conjured swords struck the dragon, the brunette completed the Odyssey with his own strike. Immediately he cast Grand Gaia to solidify their lead.

A fiery blast broke free of the golden light of Grand Gaia and struck Felix and Sheba down. Jenna screamed as her brother fell. She hadn't thought to bring Water of Life. Piers called forth Balm, who revived them both, greatly relieving the Mars Adept.

"Ugh… How many other reviving Djinn do we have?" Felix asked, noting the deep lacerations and painful burns all over his body.

"Just one," Jenna said grimly, pointing to the Mars Djinni Tinder that had found his way to her shoulder.

"We just have to make sure Felix doesn't go down; he can use Revive," Piers reminded. Sheba and Jenna nodded in understanding, but the Earth Adept clearly wouldn't stand for it.

"No, we all give everything we have," he commanded. "Isaac's counting on us. We have to deal as much damage as possible."

He returned his attention to the dragon. Oddly enough, he had spent all this time merely hovering in midair with his eyes closed where he had just been given the perfect chance to attack and possibly kill another of his traitorous soldiers. Felix didn't waste time questioning this behavior and used another Odyssey. Babi took it unflinchingly, further confusing the Adepts.

Piers invoked the power of Violent Cool, and Jenna attacked with Fume Dragon. Sheba contributed with a second Spark Plasma. Still the great dragon made no move in response.

Suddenly his crimson eyes flashed open and he opened his gaping mouth, exposing the many rows of razor-tipped fangs. A small orb a light gathered before that mouth, and even as more light gathered unto it, it grew no larger than Felix's fist. When the orb glowed with brilliance unimaginable, it slowly floated down towards the Adepts. They watched anxiously as the globe of fiery splendor halted three feet above the ground in the middle of the area. So captivating was its luminance that they lowered their weapons to behold it.

The earth trembled and the sphere began to spin rapidly. It grew larger, the massive power within it giving it its own gravity which hungrily pulled Felix and his companions towards it. Desperately the Earth Adept summoned Moloch. Sour, Balm, and Waft emerged, a red glow engulfing them, and danced around each other. They produced a white radiance from which stepped forth a massive beast of ice weighted with thick, white fur. The dog-like being breathed a gust of frigid air through the ball of fire and at Babi. The dragon roared, shaking away the sheets of ice that had formed upon his skin. However, the attack did little to undo what the fire orb was vying to accomplish.

As Felix, Jenna, Sheba, and Piers were drawn closer to the intense heat and pressure radiating from the sphere's core and the sphere itself swelled to the size of a house, all motion suddenly ceased. An ominous rumbling soon became audible, then the orb erupted in a horrifically magnificent explosion. Its inferno consumed the struggling Adepts, and the pressure it had gathered threatened to crush them.

When the booming vibrations ended, the ground stopped its quaking, and the fires died away, Felix and the other warriors lay still upon the ground. Not one of them moved so much as a twitch.

Babi grinned at his deed and cackled loudly, a truly dreadful sound for a dragon to produce. With a few beats of his tattered wings he swooped away from the ravaged chamber in search of Isaac.

Felix clenched his fist and groaned. "Isaac… you'd better not screw this up," he remarked, his voice strained.

"Come on! We have to hurry!" Mia said urgently as she rushed her two friends up the spiraling staircase. Isaac was in front of her, and Ivan had the lead. The trio dashed along the unending stairs, taking the steps two or something three at a time in a frantic attempt to reach the peak of the watchtower, the tallest spire in Babilon. From there, they would not only have a decent view of the battle, but they could aid in the effort.

Isaac glanced at the glimmering topaz in his hand. The Star of Venus was a mystical gem of immense power, but would it really be enough? Babi knew Alchemy inside and out; it was his gravest weapon in conquest. Surely he had also devised methods of countering it. Would the Elemental Star, containing naught but the essence of Alchemy, be any good at all?

"We're almost there!" Ivan announced as the dim light of the moon escaped into the passage through an approaching door. They found said door left wide open, swinging quietly upon its hinges. Outside, all was silent. The three Adepts emerged with nary a sound, watching their surroundings vigilantly for any sign of movement.

What was most disturbing about the stillness was that Felix and the others should have been fighting the dragon. The sound of their psynergy would be enough to wake the dead, not taking into account their raw attacks and Babi countering.

"You don't think they've been defeated, do you?" Mia asked worriedly. Isaac hushed her and approached the center of the circular stone platform. He held his sword lightly at the hilt, resting the blade delicately in his opposite hand. When he reached his destination, he turned his gaze to the sky.

The clouds were parting to reveal the full moon in all its glory. To the east, a fray of pink stained the heavens. Isaac took a deep breath. The many flights of stairs had been less than kind to his fleeting strength. He questioned whether or not he had the vigor to defeat Babi, but such thoughts only distracted and disheartened him.

"Babi!" he called. "I know you're out there, you sorry excuse for a life form! Show yourself and fight!"

A sudden wind kicked up from behind. Isaac whipped around and gripped his sword tightly as the ashen, mud-colored beast rose from behind the tower. Mia and Ivan did the same when they noticed the change in their companion's disposition. Immediately they readied themselves for battle. Babi chuckled at this.

"I've no interest in you, peons," he commented casually. "Just let me have your friend there and you two can leave with your lives."

"That's _never_ going to happen," Ivan viciously swore, Mia nodding her agreement. The dragon narrowed is eyes.

"So be it."

Almost simultaneously the group found themselves facing a blast of flame. Ivan quickly cast Spark Plasma to deflect the attack and was successful. Mia, eager to help, called on her Djinni Serac. The tiny blue creature appeared in flurry of snow and conjured an ice horn which skewered the dragon from below. Mia pounded the ice with her Meditation Rod, splitting it into pieces.

Babi shivered with cold and puffed flame around himself to keep warm. He climbed into the sky, eclipsing the pale moon, and came diving down with an aura of fire radiating an unbearable heat.

Isaac ran ahead of his endangered friends and held up Excalibur. Babi's fearsome claws collided with the Orihalcon blade, pushing the Adept back. The boy dug his feet into the ground, but they continued to slip on the heated stone. The warmth was growing insufferable, and Isaac's strength was failing. As he nearly lost his grip on the sword, his power seemed to increase by tenfold. Effortlessly he swung his sword around and delivered a severe blow.

A Mars Djinni, Forge, appeared before Isaac. It was basked in red light, indicating its power had recently been employed. The Venus Adept sighed in relief. If Jenna was sending her Djinn to help, that meant the others made out okay.

Something about this train of thought, albeit believable, wasn't right. Isaac gasped when he realized the error of his assumption.

Forge was Garet's Djinni.

The moment Isaac grasped this knowledge, eight more of the red being appeared in a flash. His own nine Venus Djinn came forth as well, Flint holding the Star of Venus. The eighteen creatures circled around Isaac and the Elemental Star floated before him. Having witnessed more than his fair share of strange and mythical events, the boy gave little thought to this and raised Excalibur.

Babi growled menacingly and spewed a stream of flame at the companions. The Djinn produced a barrier that protected Isaac, but Ivan and Mia were left vulnerable. As if sensing this, their own Djinn emerged and revolved around the Star of Venus. The shield expanded, leaving the dragon striking furiously and repetitiously in a failing attempt to reach his foes. Or, at least, what appeared to be a failing attempt.

The projection of light soon cracked and threatened to shatter. The Djinn themselves were exhausted. Isaac gritted his teeth. They weren't going to win like this.

"Give him everything you've got!" he shouted to his companions. He unleashed the might of Grand Gaia which Ivan and Mia accompanied with Spark Plasma and Ice Missile. Babi roared and continue his barrage against the defensive wall.

"Again!" Isaac ordered when it appeared their assault had no effect. The watchtower swayed and pivoted under the force of the psynergy. Babi's bloodied body glowed crimson under the moonlight, though by now Luna was but a faint disk in the sky and the light of the sun climbed forth from its slumber. Once more he slammed his jagged claws against the barrier, and finally it shattered, the Star of Venus falling to the stone floor.

Isaac's eyes grew wide in dread. He ran forward with a brief cry and slashed a deep laceration into Babi's face only to be batted away by the dragon's tail. He skidded backwards, half crouching and half lying on the floor. He had moved with such agility that the Star had not yet struck the ground. He watched with morbid fascination as the small gem collided with the stone, producing a glorious chime that resonated throughout the vicinity.

As the topaz bounced back into the air, the moon and sun aligned with one another and light from them both refracted through the jewel. The tiny orb erupted in a burst of gorgeous blue, violet, and gold. The thirty-six wearied Djinn rotated around the Star with newfound energy. Their dance hastened until they were but a blur. The eastern sky grew bright and glorious under the light of the sun, and the moon and stars of the western heavens stretched its twilight-tipped fingers back across the sky. Where they met, a dazzling aurora formed.

The Star of Venus gleamed with an intensity that drove Babi back. The light began to take shape, gaining the form of what appeared to be a human woman. Robes dyed bright hues of sapphire, amethyst, ruby, and gold cascaded from her figure, and four ochroid wings adorned her back. Her lush blonde hair glistened upon her head, and her creamy skin glowed a golden light. The Star levitated before her, and she reached out, taking hold of a breath-taking staff the moment it formed. The Elemental Star rested at its base, burning in its own beautiful light.

Isaac, Ivan, and Mia stood a distance away, their mouths agape. Was this amazing woman really no more than another Djinn summon?

"I," she began, her voice ethereal and crystalline like the tone of the Star of Venus, "am Sol. I am the Goddess of the Sun and Moon, Master of Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter."

Babi snarled maliciously. "You're a pretty lady with a pretty stick," he sneered. "Hopefully those rainbow-colored rags of yours are fireproof." No sooner than he had uttered the words did the malevolent dragon breath his inferno upon Sol. She raised a hand delicately and flicked her wrist, and the fire turned upon Babi.

"I am the Keeper of all Elements," she reminded. Her eyes, more magnificent and lustrous than any gem, glistened languidly. "Babi, self-proclaimed Lord of Weyard, you are a vile man. You will be duly punished."

Sol stepped forward, her elegant staff raised slightly. A beam of blue energy streaked through the air, striking Babi with incredible force. One of violet did the same, followed by a bolt of scarlet. The goddess turned on her heal and pointed her staff at Isaac. The boy flinched, expecting he too was to be reprimanded for the horrible things he had done. A golden light whirled around him, imbuing him with a divine power. Sol stepped aside and gestured to the dragon, lying crippled upon the ground.

"Isaac of Vale, am I correct to presume that this is your fight to finish?" she said with a frail smile. A specter of flaming red hair appeared beside her for as long as it took for him to display and energetic grin and a thumbs-up. Mia placed a hand on Isaac's shoulder, a wistful smile upon her own lips. Ivan stood at his side and nodded in encouragement.

Isaac sighed and approached Babi. He raised Excalibur slowly and paused when it had reached its height. After nine hundred and fifteen years, he was finally going to accomplish what he'd dreamed of doing from the day he had been sucked into the madman's fiendish plot. Many lives had been lost, and many more betrayed. Weyard was on its last legs, struggling to overcome the plagues and hardships let loose upon the land. People were suffering and dying. _No longer_, he thought. In one swift motion, Isaac speared the dragon between his eyes. The beast thrashed his tail and gurgled, then fell still.

"Farewell, my lord," Isaac muttered. Sol faded and dissolved into the Djinn that her form had been borne from. The creatures, now enveloped in a faint yellow light, disappeared.

The young Venus Adept heaved a sigh as his knees buckled and his strength decayed. Mia and Ivan took him by either arm to support him.

"Isaac! Are you okay?" Ivan inquired worriedly. The addressed nodded in reply. "We have to get to the medical room… have to alert Felix… The plan's not finished… We need to destroy Babilon…"

"Hang on, Isaac," Mia whispered, casting Pure Ply. There was no improvement in her young friend's condition.

The Earth Adept sighed and fell into a frighteningly deep sleep.

"Isaac?"

The boy opened his eyes to find the faces of each of his friends staring back at him. Their concerned expressions softened to relief as he sat up.

"Do you feel okay?" Piers inquired. "You look awfully pale."

Isaac nodded, though it was a lie. His life was leaving him, and he could tell he wouldn't last the hour. The sun was bright above him, and the sky was clear and blue. He studied his surroundings and decided they were in Vale, but the city had changed from when he saw it in his dreams. Grass fringed the otherwise barren ground, and the trees that appeared long dead were putting out leaves and buds. Butterflies and birds and other wildlife scurried or fluttered past. If not for its utter desertion, it could have passed for the Vale of old.

"Mia told us," Sheba said grimly. "I don't understand why you didn't say anything."

Isaac chuckled. "Did I really need to? You're the psychic. Couldn't you tell?"

Ivan nodded, answering for both the Jupiter Adepts. "Still, you could have told us instead of hiding it like some deadly secret," he remarked.

"I knew it would come out this way," the young warrior sighed. "I just didn't think it would happen so soon… Any way you slice it, this story can't have a happy ending."

Felix shook his head in disagreement. "The other Adepts are all free. The people of Babilon got away safely. That floating eyesore is gone. And, most importantly, Babi is no more. You've done a world of good, Isaac. And in the end, no ending is really happy. People will always suffer. They will always die. We can't turn back time. You did all you could, and Weyard is indebted to you."

"No," Isaac said, smiling wistfully. "Now we're even." He closed his eyes and leaned back against a nearby tree. Jenna gasped.

"Isaac, no! You can't die now… You're finally free… After all that time, Isaac, you're free!" she cried.

"That's right," the young hero said, his voice little more than a whisper. "I'm finally… finally free…"

**The end!**

**I like that I managed to work in the whole "this story can't have a happy ending" into the story itself. It has that much meaning than just saying it in an author's note. For those of you that are interested, I have a few pictures posted in my devART gallery, accessable from the website button in my profile.**

**Thank you, thank you, thank you. To all of you who reviewed. To all of you who read and didn't review. To all of you who only read to see what the schmuck was going on. I do, honestly and for truly, appreciate your support.**

**And I finished the story before the contest deadline! YAY! XD Review as ya see fit, folks! Spoonz out!**


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